Senior officials removed from posts

China National Petroleum Corp said yesterday that it had decided to remove its four senior executives under investigation for “serious violations of discipline” from their posts.

The four are Wang Yongchun, deputy general manager of the CNPC; Li Hualin, deputy general manager of the CNPC; Ran Xinquan, vice president of PetroChina Company Ltd; and Wang Daofu, PetroChina’s chief geologist.

The CNPC’s Party committee said the four had been relieved of Party-related posts and corporate administrative posts, and their job titles with the CNPC’s joint-stock and listed subsidiaries will be removed following due procedures.

The CNPC appointed Liu Hongbin, Wen Qingshan, Zhao Zhengzhang and Zhao Wenzhi to take over.

On Monday, the Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection confirmed that Wang Yongchun was being investigated over suspected “serious violations of discipline.” On Tuesday, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission confirmed the other three were being investigated under the same allegation.

China’s new leadership has widened its crackdown on corruption, netting a number of officials over suspected legal and disciplinary violations.

In early July, former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun was given a suspended death penalty for bribery and abuse of power.